Rotary Clubs are wrapping up their Rotary year and new officers are taking the helm on Monday, July 1. To celebrate a year of service as well as learn about Rotary’s Camp Florida in Brandon, Interact, Rotaract and Rotary Clubs from four counties converged at the camp to attend the Rotary District Conference on June 8.
Rotary’s Camp Florida is a local, 21-acre, ADA-compliant campsite that provides a safe, barrier-free space to learn, grow and play for groups whose members need supportive accommodations, including chemotherapy. Groups like Faces of Courage rent the camp to provide a camp experience tailored to suit the specific needs of the children and adults they serve. Peggy Sherry, founder and CEO of Faces of Courage, provided firsthand stories regarding the importance of the camp to the campers who attend.
The new CEO of Rotary’s Camp Florida, Dawn Carson, is a member and past president of FishHawk-Riverview Rotary. She will be leading the camp through needed repairs as well as the building of a wheelchair-accessible treehouse. To learn more about the camp and its needs or to volunteer or donate, visit https://rotaryscampflorida.org/. You can also check out its Facebook page.
On June 16, 160 rising high school seniors sponsored by Rotary Clubs from around the state attended S4TL (Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders), a seven-day residential leadership seminar on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Students there heard from world-renowned leaders, learned more about themselves as well as useful leadership skills and engaged in thought-provoking discussions in ‘rap sessions’ with current Rotarians. Ava Benedict and Griffin Chapman attended, sponsored by FishHawk-Riverview Rotary.
To learn more about Rotary and getting involved locally, reach out to a club today.
The Rotary Club of Brandon meets Tuesdays at 12 Noon-1 p.m. and the Brandon ’86 Rotary Club meets Fridays from 8-9 a.m. Both clubs meet at the Rivard-Simmons Rotary Event Center, located at 3007 S. Kings Ave. in Brandon. Contact Debbie Meegan (Brandon) at debbiemeeganrotary@gmail.com or Chad Norgard (Brandon ’86) at chad@norgardinsgrp.com.
Brandon Global Eco Rotary meets via Zoom on the second and fourth Mondays from 6-7 p.m. Contact Bruno Kazenas at bkazenas@comcast.net.
FishHawk-Riverview Rotary meets on Mondays from 12 Noon-1 p.m. at JF Kicks, located at 3345 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico. It also has an evening option on Thursdays from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Shrimp Boat, located at 1020 Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico. Contact Betty Huth at betty@hbphoto.com.
The Rotary E-Club of Tampa South meets via Zoom on the first and third Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. Contact Duane Williams at dsigma79@aol.com.
